Method of estimating location of terminal in switched-beamforming based wireless communication system

Abstract

A terminal location estimation method in a wireless communication system in which an access point (AP) provides an access service to a plurality of terminals includes defining a plurality of beam spaces around the AP through space multiplexing; scheduling the beam spaces according to a predetermined pattern; simultaneously forming a beam in at least one beam space; and detecting the existence and location of a terminal according to whether a response message in response to the formed beam is received. Accordingly, an AP forms beams in a predetermined scheduling pattern, and each of the terminals detecting the beams registers its location by informing the AP that each of the terminals exists in a relevant beam area, and thus, a location of each of the terminals can be estimated without using a complex DOA algorithm.

1. A location estimation method in a wireless communication system in which an access point (AP) provides an access service to a plurality of terminals, the location estimation method comprising:
 defining, by the AP, a plurality of beam spaces around the AP through space multiplexing; 
 scheduling, by the AP, the beam spaces according to a predetermined pattern; 
 forming, by the AP, a beam in at least one beam space; and 
 detecting, by the AP, an existence and location of a terminal according to whether a response message in response to the formed beam is received from the terminal, 
 wherein the beam contains a unique beam indication according to a beam space, and 
 wherein detecting an existence and location of the terminal comprises:
 comparing the beam indication to a beam indication previously received if the terminal receives the beam indication through the beam; and 
 transmitting a response message containing a terminal identification (ID) to the AP if the beam indication is different from the previous beam indication. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The location estimation method of  claim 1 , wherein the beam is formed using different transmission power according to the beam space. 
     
     
       3. The location estimation method of  claim 1 , wherein the beam is simultaneously formed in at least two beam spaces. 
     
     
       4. The location estimation method of  claim 3 , wherein the beam is formed using different transmission power in every beam space.